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In round three of Ranji Trophy 2025-26, Bengal will face Tripura at Mahraja Bir Bikram Cricket Stadium in Agartala, Tripura, in quest for their third win in a row. In the meantime, the home team will look for their first point after a disappointing successive defeats in the first two games of the season. Mohammed Shami, who is eyeing a return to the Indian squad, will be a key attraction along with his battle against Hanuma Vihari and Vijay Shankar, who will be playing for Tripura.
Match details
Match: Tripura vs Bengal, Ranji Trophy 2025-26, Round 3
Date: 1-4 November 2025
Time: 8.45 am IST
Venue: Mahraja Bir Bikram Cricket Stadium, Agartala
Where to watch the match?
Unfortunately, there will be no LIVE telecast or streaming of this match. However, you can follow the match on our LIVE blog, starting from tomorrow.
Tripura vs Bengal: Head-to-head
Bengal have defeated Tripura by an innings in both the matches they have faced each other so far.
Shami vs Vihari: A key battle to watch out for
It was in 2022 when Hanuma Vihari played for India in Test cricket. Since then, the right-handed batter has not been able to do something big to make a return to the Indian colours. He, along with former Tamil Nadu star Vijay Shankar and Swapnil Singh from Punjab, has joined Tripura to strengthen the squad.
Although Swapnil Singh was able to get seven wickets in the first innings against Haryana, in a match that only lasted 115 overs, ducks from Vihari and Shankar got them all out on 47 in the second inning.
Now, to face a red-hot Mohammed Shami, who has already taken 15 wickets in the two games so far, Tripura's batting will not have to survive but do more than that to put up a fight.
“Yes, he (Shami) has been in great form and is a legend, but when you get set on a wicket, it gets easier. So, our batters will have to forget the last game and play on the merit of the ball,” Tripura captain Manishankar Mura Singh told Sportz Point at the end of matchday-1’s practice.
As per some of the Tripura Cricket Association’s officials, there will be near about 1500-2000 people present at the ground to watch the Shami vs Hanuma Vihari battle. And the numbers may increase if Shami bowls well.
Flatter pitch awaits Bengal
First thing Tripura wanted was less grass on the pitch, with Bengal having ‘one of the best pace bowling units in India’ as mentioned for Abhimanyu Easwaran before the start of the season.
The pitch on Friday looked like a flatter one, but there is no guarantee of that unless and until we see the first few overs bowled on Day 1. The pitch might get lower and slower as the game progresses.
“Not sure about the pitch. Yes, we would like to have something flat. But, we can not predict that unless a few overs have been bowled. It would be the start of the home season, and let’s hope the wicket plays good,” Mura Singh said.
The spin factor in the latter days of the match can force Bengal to go for an added spinner in Rahul Prasad, who might make his first-class debut. The offspinner is handy with the bat as well and will be the main spinner alongside Shahbaz Ahmed, who had a long batting session on both days of practice.
Mohammed Kaif, the brother of Mohammed Shami, can also make a return to the playing XI, replacing Akash Deep in the playing XI.
Kazi Junaid Saifi might be the one replacing injured Sudip Chatterjee at the top, with either Shakir Habib Gandhi or Saurabh Singh playing in the middle order. Aditya Purohit, who was added to the quad after Easwaran left for India-A, had long batting sessions and can also make his first-class debut tomorrow.
Captain Porel in focus
In the absence of Abhimanyu Easwaran, who will be in action during the second India-A vs South Africa-A match, Abishek Porel, the 23-year-old wicket-keeper batter, will lead the Bengal side.
Porel has captained Bengal U-16 and U-19s in the past, but this will be his captaincy debut for the senior team after he led the side in a single Buchi Babu Tournament match in the preseason.
“I love responsibility. I thank C.A.B. and Laxmi (Ratan Shukla) da for entrusting me with the role. It will be a privilege to lead the Bengal team,” Abishek told Sportz Point.
Interestingly, he will lead his cousin, elder brother Ishan Porel, alongside senior players like Mohammed Shami and Anustup Majumdar.